McCain is booed by labor activists

[sabra]

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/breaking_news/14262177.htm

McCain is booed by labor activists
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain threatened on Tuesday to cut short a speech to union leaders who booed his immigration views and later challenged his statements on organized labor and the Iraq war.

"If you like, I will leave," McCain told the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Department, pivoting briefly from the lectern. He returned to the microphone after the crowd quieted.

"OK, then please give me the courtesy I would give you."

It was a contentious session that tested McCain's commitment to the straight-talking image he honed during his failed 2000 presidential bid. An underdog six years ago, the Arizona Republican is expected to seek the 2008 GOP nomination as a front-runner.

"I loved it. I love mixing it up like that," McCain said after the speech to a Democratic-leaning crowd of several hundred.

[AndyA]

1. McCain - the next Bush? Bush lite?

"I loved it. I love mixing it up like that," McCain said after the speech to a Democratic-leaning crowd of several hundred.

Right, sure you did, John. And there were WMDs in Iraq, too.

Oh, and Iran is our #1 threat, now.

Buh-bye.

[saigon68]

33. He loves mixing it up with this Sub-Humanoid

[Supersedeas]

43. Manchurian II

[Cobalt Violet]

2. Good for them.

His plot sucks.

[marmar]

3. "I loved it. I love mixing it up like that," McCain said after the speech

Whatever, dude. Almost as much as you love kissing Bush's ass and sucking up to the religious right. John, don't go away mad. John, just go away.

[phantom power]

13. Sounds like a Steve Carrel line from The Office :-)

[Mind_your_head]

15. You are "SPOT ON" with that comment!

....and in the end, we still have an *ss (McCain & 'the office manager'), don't we???

[blue4barb]

4. Question: Will McCain now mimic his new idol * and only speak to

hand picked audiences?

[LisaM]

5. Oh, so unions should be courteous to union busting hacks?

I don't think so. I've said it before, I cannot stand John McCain, though I did make the mistake of thinking in 2000 that he was as bad as *.

[wicket]

12. He's a SCAB to the core!

:grr:

[0007]

35. Absolutely!

[Warpy]

6. Courtesy?

The man was lecturing them and he had the microphone. Courtesy would have allowed the men present to have a say.

To hell with McCain and all the elitist cheap labor bastards just like him. Poor little crybaby hadda blame mean old Democrats, just can't come to terms that we're on to his SHIT POLICIES.

Three cheers for the UNIONS.

[windy252]

8. Another cheer for the unions.

:bounce:

[INDIA]

29. Why cheer??

Unions are fiercely anti-immigration, legal or not.

[FredScuttle]

31. Well, that's not too broad or ridiculous a brush, now

Enjoy your stay

[INDIA]

36. I like McCain's moderate immigration policy

I am pro immigrant rights, most unions are not, it's reality. And yes, I am enjoying my stay, it has been more than a year now. Thanks anyway, have a nice life.

[FredScuttle]

41. "most unions are not"

Got any evidence to back that assertion up?

[readmoreoften]

39. unions aren't anti-immigration

They're anti outsourcing and insourcing decent jobs to unprotected workers from other countries.

[K-W]

7. I wish workers could do to McCain what he and his party do to workers. EOM

[blonndee]

9. Ha ha! How is threatening to take your ball and go home "mixing it up"?nt

[melody]

10. He's lucky they didn't tar and feather him

He should be glad it stopped at vocal demonstrations.

Why should they give him courtesy when he refuses to give courtesy to any of them with his policies?

[Roland99]

11. About as rough as his last interrogation.

:eyes:

[central scrutinizer]

14. McCain has "talked straight" once in his life

When he said, "I hate gooks," the rest of the time he is a lying SOB hungry for power to further the extreme right wing agenda.

[Mind_your_head]

16. Did he really say that????

More info please.....

[central scrutinizer]

23. yup - links here

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/hongop.shtml
http://www.asianweek.com/2000_02_24/feature_mccainapology.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2000/02/18/MN32194.DTL

google: mccain gooks

and get lots more sources

excerpt from the third one:

Greenville, S.C. -- Arizona Sen. John McCain refused to apologize yesterday for his use of a racial slur to condemn the North Vietnamese prison guards who tortured and held him captive during the war.

``I hate the gooks,'' McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. ``I will hate them as long as I live.''

McCain, a former Navy pilot who spent five years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, was questioned about the language because of a story last month in the Nation magazine reporting his continued use of the slur.

Since then, reports of McCain's language have been circulating on Internet chat sites and e-mails among Asian Americans, many of whom find the the term offensive and inappropriate for an elected official.

McCain's appeal to voters has been as a wartime hero and a feisty politician who speaks his mind and damns the consequences. But his comments on the eve of the key South Carolina primary show the candidate's vaunted `'straight talk'' in another light.

``The use of a racist slur can't be acceptable for any national leader, regardless of his background,'' said Diane Chin, executive director of the San Francisco-based Chinese for Affirmative Action. ``For someone running for president not to recognize the power of words is a problem.''

While McCain's words may have little effect in conservative South Carolina, where few Asian Americans live, they could come back to haunt him in other states.

``Historically, straight talkers who say things off the top of their heads eventually hang themselves with those sorts of remarks,'' said Bruce Cain, a political scientist at the University of California at Berkeley.

``I was referring to my prison guards,'' McCain said, ``and I will continue to refer to them in language that might offend some people because of the beating and torture of my friends.''

[Mind_your_head]

27. hmmm......He hates what was done to him (and his friends) rightly so....

....yet he doesn't go to a 'higher level' and think about how, unfortunately, that's within the human 'heart' (or lack of one)....to commit such perversions against other human beings.

I think people ~ well, okay, ME ~ but I can't be the only one ~ can't reconcile the disconnect between what happened to the Vietnam POW's and what the US is doing to the prisoners of Abu Graib and Guantanamo Bay. One would expect that people like McCain would be OUTRAGED TO THE MAXIMUM about it all, but because he's not, it leaves us all in 'disconnect'. What's happening to those folks is THE VERY SAME THING (perhaps WORSE) THAT YOU SUFFERED! AND McCAIN ISN'T MAD AS H*LL ABOUT IT??? If not, why not.... and well, we just don't like/trust John McCain (rightfully so).

Peace

[brentspeak]

37. In defense of McCain on that point

Everybody serving in Vietnam adopted the word "gooks". And he was imprisoned and tortured by the Vietnamese for 5 1/2 years...

Anyway, he has worked with other vets in the Senate like (former senator) Bob Kerrey and John Kerry at reestablishing relations with Vietnam.

Other than that, I agree that McCain is a phony political "maverick", and that he's gutlessly abetted Bush.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

44. No, they didn't

My father served in Vietnam, and I have never heard that word come out of his mouth.

I've heard him speak of Vietnam and the Vietnamese, but I have never heard him use that racial slur. Or any other, I might add.

[brentspeak]

48. I didn't mean they all adopted the word for home use

I was referring to slang used while in Vietnam.

[Gman]

17. Illegal aliens impact the Building Trades more than any other union group

The Building Trades have seen illegal aliens literally be a major cause of the serious decline in building trade union membership over the last 25 years or so. Illegals affect union membership because contractors can bargain their union contract to impasse, get rid of the union, lower wages, hire illegals pretty much with impunity then lower wages more.

The worst thing that ever happens is the green and white vans pull up to a job site, someone yells, "La Migra!!" and everyone scatters. La Migra rounds up whoever they can catch and put 'em on a bus back to Nuevo Laredo. They're back at work at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

Many times illegals are willing to do $20/hour work for $20 a day. If the contractor is a "nice guy" he'll throw in lunch too. This goes along perfectly with their scheme to not bring the rest of the world up to our wage levels, but depress our wages down to developing country levels.

[mzmolly]

19. Exactly right.

The McCain/Kennedy bills failure is a blessing in disguise for Democrats who if they'd supported it would have suffered a loss of union support.

As I said, Dems need to reach out to unions (the middle class) by calling for legislation that strenghtens both.

[Gman]

20. Kennedy's compassion for other less fortunate humans is his motivation

I'm not sure what's driving McCain except to try to steer down the middle in his run for president. But then McCain has no chance of winning the GOP nomination unless he becomes a Tancredo clone on immigration.

In any event, nothing good comes to the American worker from illegal immigration. Then again, H1B visas do the same thing, only legally. They're squeezing us from many directions.

[mzmolly]

28. I agree with you on the Kennedy motivation.

I think if they would have tossed in a bone to strengthen unions it might have been able to fly?

[pretzel4gore]

30. if they were getting $20/hr back home

they would not work for $20/day. The union movement recognises that the dignity of labour is represented by $ yet a long time ago the '1st world' union movement went along with exploiting the poorer countrys' workforce, even delighting in others' poverty. Eventually, this dog eat dog mentality must affect us, and our way of life, cuz only a very few of us can ever be wealthy (which means most of us must be the opposite from wealthy) the 60's and 70's saw an amazing phenomenon in our society. middle and upper class kids suddenly despised wealth, despised the power wealth represented! and THE MAN has been enraged ever since...hence bushjeezus...
fyi the 'russian revolution' which saw the establishment of the Soviet (workers) Union ran aground when stalin seized control of the party, and redirected the 'revolution' from its worldwide focus to focus on the newly formed USSR; communism in one country.... as you can see, almost all the problems that eventually destroyed the communist dream were born in that decision. 'Workers of the World Unite' was once a serious call to stop our exploitation, but ....nowadays people actually chuckle if someone said that!

[saigon68]

34. No one can live any kind of life on $20.00 a day

Their children are educated fed and doctored by the taxpayer

And the guy who owns the construction Co becomes a millionaire REPUKE and donates to Bush/Cheney to protect his $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[judaspriestess]

40. then go after the contractors

can you back this up with statistics?? just curious...
$20.00 dollars a day? where do the illegals sleep in cardboard boxes too? or do about 100 live in a room, please elaborate a little more.
In order for illegals to work in construction for example with a large contractor, they have to at least turn in fake socials and pay taxes out of their checks. Give me a break all these large companies are paying all these illegals under the table, cash?? I don't think so.


anywhoo,

the pic posted earlier of mccain and bush speaks volumes. its a vile picture

[mzmolly]

18. Democrats would have faced the same fate if they supported his bill.

"McCain responded by saying immigrants were taking jobs nobody else wanted. He offered anybody in the crowd $50 an hour to pick lettuce in Arizona.

Shouts of protest rose from the crowd, with some accepting McCain's job offer.

"I'll take it!" one man shouted.

McCain insisted none of them would do such menial labor for a complete season. "You can't do it, my friends."

I can't believe he said "you can't do it?" :wow:

Democrats can thank their lucky stars this bill failed. The Republican bill will face the same fate IMHO.

It's not a matter of "Americans can't do the job" Mr. McCain - again, it's that they will not do so for 3 bucks an hour.

[Suich]

38. I was just reading this at Atrios.

How can anybody in their right mind say people won't work for $50 an hour? I've always lived on less than $20,000 a year. At his rate, I'd only have to work 10 weeks a year! He doesn't have any idea how much people are struggling to survive on low paying jobs.
:mad:

[mzmolly]

42. Incredibly "out of touch."

We have too many members of the "lucky sperm club" - who just don't get it. His statement implies that Americans are lazy. Ah nooo, often times poor Americans lose any (government funded) lose when they take a job, so any job accepted better either have hc benefits or be worth not having hc coverage for their families.

[Ernesto]

21. Union leaders boo McCain on immigration

By RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer
Last Updated 2:23 pm PDT Tuesday, April 4, 2006
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. John McCain threatened on Tuesday to cut short a speech to union leaders who booed his immigration views and later challenged his statements on organized labor and the Iraq war.
"If you like, I will leave," McCain told the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Department, pivoting briefly from the lectern. He returned to the microphone after the crowd quieted.


http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/front/story/3250093p-12016982c.html

[Mind_your_head]

24. As someone said up-thread, McCain should have just left.....

...in fact, when McCain offered the suggestion, perhaps they should have applauded. Just a thought, for 'next' time. I think the members were being 'more than polite'.

[madmom]

22. If he loved it why did he threaten to leave?

[leesa]

25. Methinks McCain is about to get another Revalation, so to speak.

[sadiesworld]

26. I wish they wopuld have kept booing...

and McCain had left. It would have had a far greater impact than anything the idiot actually had to say. Still, good on the unions for booing at all. :thumbsup:

[tom_paine]

32. McCain is as disgusting a toady as ever was

To think I once respected him...

He walks around with dabs of shit on the tip of his nose from the Imperial Asshole...and now Jerry Falwell's.

He is lower than a dab of catshit. End of story.

[stanwyck]

45. He failed miserably on The Daily Show last night

I know his intent was to defuse his recent courting of the Christian Coalition, schmoozing Jerry Falwell, and stating that intelligent design should be taught in school.
But gentlemanly Jon shut him down. McCain had no comebacks for his recent crabwalking.
McCain has been castrated by the fundy right.

[lovuian]

46. He deserves it

BOO!!!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

47. You didn't mention that McCain said that Americans wouldn't take $50/hr to

pick lettuce.

McCain responded by saying immigrants were taking jobs nobody else wanted. He offered anybody in the crowd $50 an hour to pick lettuce in Arizona.

Shouts of protest rose from the crowd, with some accepting McCain's job offer.

"I'll take it!" one man shouted.

McCain insisted none of them would do such menial labor for a complete season. "You can't do it, my friends."

[benfranklin1776]

49. What an asinine thing for Mr. Faux Teddy Roosevelt to say

I daresay a large number of people are not only willing but ABLE to do that type of work for 50.00 an hour. And if people don't last an entire season is it that the working conditions are so bad they kill people and if so then the question should be how can a supposedly civilized and moral society tolerate that.